Warren Gatland: Wales first but life with Lions appeals

Warren Gatlandis in line to be named along-side his Wales colleague Shaun Edwards next month as an assistant coach to Ian McGeechan for the 2009 Lions tour to South Africa. The only impediment to McGeechan bringing on board the man who led Wales to a Grand Slam last spring would be a hitch in the contractual terms.

"There's been a lot of speculation and I haven't officially been asked," said Gatland. "It's something I'd be interested in as along as everything's right. For me the priority is Wales."

Gatland, Wales's head coach since the start of the year, spent a few days in London last week. He popped into his old club Wasps, where Edwards, the part-time Wales defence coach, is head coach and McGeechan, who was confirmed as the Lions' top man in May, is director of rugby. It all sounds very cosy, but if the Lions plan to slay the Springboks with the kind of high-tempo, defence-dependent game which Gatland – who won three Premierships and a Heineken Cup with Wasps – has used successfully at club and international level, it makes sense to employ the man himself. McGeechan has promised to announce his principal back-up staff before the November internationals.

Gatland's other duty in The Smoke was as guest of honour at a London Welsh club dinner. "I did a question-and-answer session," he said in Richmond the morning after an easy-going night before. "They wanted to know the usual things. How will Wales go in the autumn? Can we win another Six Nations?"

And the answers? "We're playing South Africa, New Zealand and Australia in November, plus a game against Canada when I'll try out a few different players.

"It'll be tough, but this is what I want. If it was up to me I'dplay the southern-hemisphere nations and England every week. You only get better by playing the best." As to back-to-back Grand Slams – Wales have done it only once, in 1908-09, when France were easy-beats – time will tell. In South Africa in June, a slightly depleted Wales lost43-17 and 37-21. It reminded Gatland of his playing days.

"I was in the Waikato side which beat Wales in 1988," he recalled. "Two months later we got smashed by Auckland. It taught me that it is easy for performances to go up and down, and what we're trying to do with Wales is be consistent. The challenge for us as coaches is to make sure we don't have those highs and lows.

"I saw that for the first time in South Africa – and I was waiting for it. Away from home, the players came up short. I don't think it took the gloss off the Grand Slam, because the Welsh public perception wasn't unrealistic. What pleased me was the improvement from the First Test to the Second. I was really proud of the Second Test performance. If it's the same in the autumn and we don't win a game, I can't ask for more than that."

The Welsh Rugby Union's only publicly stated stipulation against Gatland roaring off with the Lions next May is that he cannot be head coach, and therefore in the same cleft stick as Graham Henry in 2001 – dropping Welshmen with the Lions and picking them up again for Wales. "If any Wales coaches are with the Lions it is a great opportunity for regionalcoaches to take the Welsh tour to North America at the same time," said Gatland, who has encouraged a two-way street with the regions; he takes some of their sessions, and throws the doors open to Wales's.

On Tuesday the Ospreys face Cardiff Blues, followed on Wednesday by the Newport Gwent Dragons against LlanelliScarlets. "It's not far off being a Wales trial," said Gatland. "The squad will have only a week together before the autumn Tests, which is not ideal."

That and the proliferation of foreigners in the regions are among the issues currently being thrashed out by the WRU. "In the Second Test in South Africa eight of our 22 weren't regular starters for their region," Gatland said. "The argument from the owners is that we haven't got enough players in Wales, but I find that a soft excuse."

Gatland was a candidate for the England elite rugby director post taken by Rob Andrew in 2006, but he didn't fancy a desk job. He is also thought to have been sounded out by the RFU as England coach when Andy Rob-inson departed in late 2006 (Gatland was under contract in New Zealand with Waikato), and again by an intermediary after last year's World Cup. But if Andrew had intended to get in touch he never did so, and Wales took their chance. "I haven't got a rugby CV and I've never applied for a job in my life," Gatland said.

No one applies to be Lions captain, either, but an appointment will be made by McGeechan after the Six Nations' Championship. The current favourite is Wales's Ryan Jones. "My advice to Ryan is he has to be sure of his place in the team," Gatland said. "He didn't play that well in South Africa and there needs to be an improvement. He's gone away and got leaner than he was and we want that from a few of our players." It's classic Gatland, keeping everyone on their toes.

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